


Reset

by Jessa



Series: HM Server Prompt Fills [21]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Bisexual Jace Wayland, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Language, Mild Physical Hurt/Comfort, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Clace, Sexual References, Slow Burn, Sparring, Tags May Change, recollections of past homophobic violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:00:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29596608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jessa/pseuds/Jessa
Summary: When Clary left Jace she took everything so Jace has been slowly filling his apartment back up with brand new things. On the day Jace has his new fridge delivered, something else new arrives along with it.A story about Jace and Alec getting together. Each instalment is 500 words. Updates are frequent.
Relationships: Alec Lightwood/Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane & Alec Lightwood
Series: HM Server Prompt Fills [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1850245
Comments: 52
Kudos: 34
Collections: Hunter's Moon 500 Prompts





	1. Purple

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for checking this out. I am promising to finish this story, I’m just not sure yet how many instalments I’ll do, hence there’s no max chapter count yet.
> 
> Some of the instalments are prompt fills, others are for pure pleasure or for story development. In short, it’s all a little bit random however I hope it will still all make sense by the end!
> 
> If you have an idea you’d like to see included, please feel free to drop it in a comment!
> 
> Thanks again for checking this out and I really hope you enjoy it 💙💙

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the HM500: Purple

Jace fixates on the purple W of the logo on the Rainbow Removals truck. He clenches his hands and balls them into fists, fixating now on the way his nails dig into his palms as the guy brings his new fridge down the back ramp of the truck. The chains on its back door clang when the guy kicks it closed with his heavy-looking black leather boot. The guy says his name is Alec.

“So where do you want it?”

“Inside,” Jace says. But what he wonders is where the fuck else the leather-booted guy who says his name is Alec thinks he wants it. Jace sure doesn’t want it the fuck out here, it’s a really nice fridge. Makes ice and everything.

Alec smiles and suddenly Jace’s hands aren’t balled into fists anymore. It’s the second time this morning Jace his seen that smile. After the first, well, that’s when Jace started biting his tongue and just thinking all the catty things he usually says, rather than saying them aloud. 

“Um,” he stutters uncharacteristically. What do people say to people when they’re only thinking the catty things they usually say? Jace has forgotten how to be civil. 

“My name’s Jace.”

Alec stands up and stuffs the last of the packaging inside the box that’s otherwise empty now the fridge is installed. “I know,” he says, feeling his cheeks warm up; it’s already hot in Jace’s upstairs apartment, and Alec is fit. But in his work coveralls, after wheeling a fridge up two flights of stairs, it’s even hotter. “I saw your name on your invoice,” Alec admits. But he doesn’t admit that the physical labour is not why Alec’s cheeks are burning: Jace is really pretty. “My name’s Alec,” Alec says quietly. “Um… Oh… I must have said that already.”

Jace smiles and suddenly Alec doesn’t feel awkward, shy or nervous anymore. He does realise he’s very thirsty though. Do customers think it’s rude or creepy for delivery people to ask them for glasses of water if they suddenly need one on a job? Alec hasn’t been employed by Magnus for very long. Maybe he should call him first to make sure that they don’t.

“You did say that already, yeah.”

Jace looks between the fridge and the light coat of sweat he thinks he can see on Alec’s forehead. At least the part of it not covered by his dark curls of hair. He looks really hot, worried, and kind of flustered. “Also,” Jace adds, turning around and grabbing two clean glasses, and filling them both up with water from the tap, “Your name is printed on your uniform, Alec.”

Jace smiles again, hoping it’s kind and not catty, as he hands Alec one of the glasses of tepid water. “Can’t offer you ice,” Jace admits, looking at the fridge that’s only just been switched on. “But if you stick around, you could have some soon, I guess. Do you have another job to go to after this?”


	2. Blush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yesterday after his first delivery, Alec left Jace’s apartment but today, the next day, he has returned and he is delivering something else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the HM500 prompt ‘Blush’ and thoroughly inspired by Kissa who kindly gave me the best additional prompts for this story yesterday.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this and thank you for checking it out 💙💙

“Yes,” Alec says. “I mean, no.”

Alec blushes and Jace realises he might’ve left one thing out about him yesterday, when making initial assessments. Which is not to say Jace was wrong; Alec really was looking really hot and worried before Jace gave him a glass of really tepid water. But he isn’t really flustered at all today, he’s blushing. And that is related but distinct to flustered. 

“Sorry, Alec. I wasn’t-”

“I could call Magnus and ask,” Alec says. “That might be in stock too. It’s Sunday today so it’d still take a day for someone to get it over to you here though.”

“Would _you_ get it over to me here though?” 

Jace asks it quietly. Not because he’s blushing too; Jace doesn’t blush, he inspires that. What Jace does, he does because Alec works for a company called Rainbow Removals. What Jace does, he does because Alec is blushing, as distinct from flustered. What Jace does, he does because when Alec left Jace’s apartment yesterday, after they hadn’t shared any ice water because a component in the fridge was missing, and another one was faulty, Jace had felt sad to see him go. Jace had missed Alec and he didn’t want to miss him again.

“I don’t work weekdays,” Alec says, feeling his cheeks burn as warm as they had yesterday and his heart tug at what he’s forced to admit to Jace now. “Someone else will get it over to you here tomorrow, Jace, because I go to college. And also, I only do deliveries. That’s all we do on weekends. No maintenance, no removals. It’s why I keep on getting here so early. We’re never very busy with either the maintenance or the deliveries, we’re known for removals. It’s in the name, you know? Rainbow _Removals_. Nothing about maintenance or deliveries… But do you know what, Jace? Me and Magnus were talking recently about this very thing. And-”

“You weren’t early, Alec,” Jace says. “You were within the four-hour window. Isn’t that why you maintenance and delivery people are never really late, do you know what I mean? Like... How can somebody ever be late when they’re running to four-hour windows of time? I mean, geez Louise, talk about leeway.”

Alec frowns. Jace still looks really pretty, especially when his mouth says _geez Louise_. But for as pretty as it looked, was that a catty retort? Maybe Alec’s just thirsty again. It makes him think of a trick he remembers. “Let me just try one thing with this ice maker for you… Hold on, Jace...”

The next thing Jace knows, Alec’s in pain on his knees on the kitchen floor, gripping his shoulder and groaning, “Shivers…”

“Hold on, Alec,” Jace says, thinking he knows the kind of pain he sees in Alec’s eyes when he looks into them. “Let me just try one thing with this shoulder for you… Might need to pull down your coveralls though… I need to see what’s really going on.”


	3. Crack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Monday afternoon and Alec has returned to Jace’s apartment. Jace finds this both pleasant and surprising.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the HM500: Crack
> 
> Thank you for checking this out, I hope you enjoy it 💙💙

Jace kneads out the knots in Alec’s shoulder. He still has his sprain today. Even though it’s been twenty-four hours since he first sprained it yesterday. Hacking Jace’s fridge back to working order.

“Never pulled that before.” Alec hisses out every time Jace’s hands stretch him one way. But Alec sighs out too, every time those same hands knead him back the other.

“Not ever?” Jace pushes down on Alec again. His skin is as warm as he remembers it from the kitchen. Now they’re in the lounge, where Jace keeps a weights set he had delivered last week, and a yoga mat. Alec is currently face-down on that while Jace massages him again. 

They’d both ended up like this here yesterday, Alec’s coveralls also ending up here; pulled down to his hips. Stopping just above his crack. On neither day had Jace suggested he pull them down that far but nor had Jace complained when Alec had. 

“You must be as fit as you look then. I mean, working a physical job like you do? Even if it is just on weekends. I fucking pull things all the time... Hey… How come you’re here in coveralls today? Thought you said you had lectures Mondays.”

Alec tenses in a different way to how he had before, both yesterday and today. From residual pain and remedial stretching. “Pull things?” he asks, avoiding the second part of Jace’s question. The part about the way he’s come here dressed. 

He isn’t here to work today but Alec has still come over here dressed in coveralls, he’d wanted to. And yesterday, when he said goodbye to Jace, after Jace had finished massaging his shoulder - made it feel a whole lot better - Alec had suspected that Jace wanted that too. 

“What kind of things do you pull?” And then Alec thinks that maybe that sounds strange and so he changes the topic by adding, “What do you do for a job? If I asked that already, I’m sorry-”

“No,” Jace says. “You didn’t ask that already, Alec.” He gives his shoulder a final workout then sits back on his heels, and puts his hands palm-down on his own lower thighs. Gripping above his knees in thought. Taking a moment to feel his own body. “Muscles,” Jace states.

Alec rolls over. “For a job, you do...muscles?” He feels completely confused. And for a brief moment he thinks he’s also hurt because Jace laughs aloud at what he’s just said. And Alec feels a lump form in his throat.

“Oh, shit,” Jace says, growing cross at himself. He had not meant to be catty then. It was just an unexpected thing to hear.

Jace’s hand returns to Alec’s shoulder and his gentle touch makes Alec feel just like his smile had yesterday. The lump in Alec’s throat lessens then.

“I teach martial arts,” Jace says. “If you have any time, and you come by again tomorrow? Well... Maybe I could show you how I do that.”


	4. Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Several days ago, Jace invited Alec back over for a martial arts session. It’s taken him a few days to work up the courage but Alec has finally returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the HM500: Broken
> 
> Thanks for checking this out and I hope you enjoy it 💙💙

“I start all my classes with two-person stretches.”

On Monday, Jace had suggested Alec wear something different when he came over to watch Jace teach martial arts from home. Something that wasn’t coveralls and that wouldn’t mean he’d get too hot, even though the ice maker wasn’t broken anymore; Alec now knows he can rely on Jace to give him ice water anytime.

So Alec’s shown up today - Friday - in black shorts and a faded t-shirt he’s had since forever. These are the clothes that Alec works out in, always at home, alone. He never goes out to gyms. 

“Oh… Sorry, I must’ve misunderstood. I thought you lived alone too, Jace.”

Running the block is the most public the concept of exercise gets for Alec, and he certainly never does it with someone else. In fact, the thought of this - watching Jace teach, with the possibility of working out with him too - has been making Alec feel uneasy. Not bad-uneasy. Excited-uneasy. And working that out is why it’s taken him a few days to come back here.

“I do live alone, Alec. I adapt the two-person stretches. But if anyone did have a partner, well, they could still do versions of them. Until not long ago, I had a partner. We used to do some of these stretches together.”

Alec has only ever seen Jace in blue jeans and white Henleys but this afternoon, when Jace first answered his knock on the door, Alec’s jaw had nearly dropped right out of his head at the sight of Jace in nothing more than black Skins. At that time, he’d run a flustered hand over his face. He runs another over it now.

“Oh… Sorry.”

“Stop doing that, Alec, okay?”

Since he’s been living alone, Jace hasn’t bought any new clothes for himself. Entirely out of character; so out, in fact, that Jace can tell he’s still in a post-breakup funk from that alone. But maybe the glorified, priority-posted brand tights he’d had delivered on Tuesday, and had been waiting ever since for Alec to come back, so Jace could finally put them on, are the start of ending all that. As well as the start of beginning all this. 

Jace wants to begin something with Alec, he really wants to. But for as ready as he is, to don snugger than necessary sportswear - to give Alec every sign he’s ready for something - he isn’t quite prepared yet to articulate exactly what _all this_ is. How far it might go. Warming up though, is something Jace is definitely here for.

“Stop apologising.” He puts a gentle hand on Alec’s good shoulder and squeezes. “It’s okay. All of it. Okay? I’m just really glad you came back here at all. I was worried that you weren’t gonna do that, Alec. Thought I might’ve scared you away... And… Well, that I might’ve had to go and break something else to get you back here again. Glad I didn’t.”

Alec blushes and chuckles at that.


	5. Weapon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jace throws something different Alec’s way, hoping he’s ready to catch it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the HM500: Weapon
> 
> Thank you for checking this out, I hope you enjoy it 💙💙

After that Friday, Alec returns to Jace’s place daily for more stretches. And what started off as gentle slowly becomes less so as Alec’s confidence returns in his once-sprained shoulder. 

Eventually, Jace shows Alec stretches that aren’t gentle on his shoulder at all, that don’t avoid it; and these lead Jace to showing Alec other things. Things that don’t avoid the whole of Alec. Things that target his whole body. Things like sparring. 

“Okay,” Jace begins their session today, “Put your left foot slightly behind your right but keep them both parallel. Centre yourself, find your balance.” 

He bounces up on the balls of his feet, smiling at Alec as he watches him begin to mirror the position Jace demonstrates. They’re standing a little apart on a newish mat Jace had delivered at the same time as the black Skins arrived, predicting he would need something bigger than a yoga mat; Jace isn’t small but, frankly, Alec is big. 

“Now, hold your shinai like I do.” Jace throws Alec one of two bamboo swords he’s just picked up off the floor. 

Alec stammers. “Hold my...w-what?” But he doesn’t fumble the catch.

Jace flashes him another smile, a bigger one this time, and it reminds Alec a hell of a lot of the one Magnus flashes him when he’s done something his boss is very pleased with; like made a delivery in perfect time or received some really good customer feedback via Rainbow Removal’s online feedback portal. That is to say, Alec really likes to see this smile on Jace.

“Your _shinai_ , Alec, it’s a training weapon. We’re gonna spar today, okay? Unless you don’t want to, of course. Which is totally fine.”

“Oh,” Alec says. “Spar like in boxing, you mean? Like, fight but not really fight? Just, like, play around, right?”

“Yeah, right. Exactly like that. Like play around, _exactly_ like that.” 

Jace feels pleased and his stomach lurches a little at the way the phrase _play around_ sounds when Alec says it. And that happy feeling that bubbles up inside him causes him to bounce up on the balls of his feet again, and also enjoy for a minute the feel of the light bamboo wood of his shinai in his hands. It feels good. It’s been awhile since Jace felt good. 

“Hey, so you’re a boxer too, huh? I wouldn’t have guessed that, I don’t think. You’re always so full of surprises, Alec. I really like that about you.”

He’s said it all a little later on in the piece; Jace has explained the whole spar manoeuvre and they’ve practised it a few times, so many Jace doesn’t need to talk Alec through it anymore. So he’s talked through this thought instead. 

It’s one that’s ended somewhere Alec totally didn’t expect. Jace _likes_ him? Alec’s heart skips a beat and the shinai he holds crumples. Alec stumbles backward on the mat, ending up on his arse, and Jace stumbles forward, ending up on top of him.


	6. Admirer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the way his last visit ended, Alec is nervous to return to Jace’s until Magnus gives him some much needed hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No prompt this time! Apart from some little suggestions people have left at times in comments since I’ve been posting. Thank you for all the suggestions and encouragement! I hope you enjoy this update and thanks for checking it out 💙💙

It’s Sunday. Two weeks since Alec met Jace. He punches in his employee code and enters Magnus’ warehouse through the downstairs door but his mind’s not on work, it’s on Jace. Sort of. On how Alec fucked up at his apartment a few days ago. 

It was embarrassing but somehow it had felt good. The dull ache at the cleft of his arse when he landed heavy on his coccyx. Maybe the only time he’s ever done that and not minded. Actually, the only time he’s ever done that and not minded.

The displaced weight of Jace’s body when their hands slipped against fallen weapons left Jace bent over him for a hot few seconds, struggling to master his balance. A struggle during which Alec felt, on his neck, his warm breath. Leaving him warmer than he ever has so far. And as breathless too, and wondering how hard Jace had really tried to master his balance and regain his feet in those moments - maybe minutes - when they’d been tumbled down on the mat in his lounge like that.

Jace’s eyes had been as bright as they’d been when he’d smiled that pleased smile that Alec now knows he’s been lying to himself about; he doesn’t just really like it when Jace smiles at him like that. Alec knows he loves it when Jace smiles at him like that.

Jace hadn’t actually seemed to mind one bit that Alec had fucked up and lost his footing. And made them both fall down like they had. Alec’s played and replayed the moments - the displaced weight and the warm breath and the eyes so bright - over and over again, just to make sure: the fucking up part is inside his own head. 

He knows that, to Jace, he didn’t do anything wrong. But Alec still can’t shake it. And so just like a pane of glass that’s dirty from the outside, he needs help to clear that feeling away. He can’t do it from where he is, inside. Otherwise all the smoky fuzz is still just there, in between him and being able to go back to Jace’s. Like he could before. 

At the top of the stairs, inside the warehouse, Magnus meets Alec at the start of his shift. It’s not uncommon to see him in the office on Sundays. It’s also not uncommon to receive the smile he does from Magnus today. The smile Alec likes so much to see from his boss. The one that means Alec has done something right. 

“Dial _three_ , Alexander, I was sure to save his feedback.” Magnus squeezes Alec’s coveralled elbow as he bustles past him down the stairs to the door which leads outside. “Oh, darling, one more thing. I owe you leave with pay, remember? Not saying you have to take it, but… You might like to take it today. There’s nothing to deliver this morning. Just the one thing up there for you.” He winks. “Seems you’ve found yourself an admirer.”


	7. Feedback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s still Sunday. Alec listens to the feedback Magnus saved. It’s from Jace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No prompt, just story. Follows on directly from the last chapter. I hope it’s obvious enough what the song is but I think it is...
> 
> TW for recollections of past homophobic violence. I figured Jace copped a lot of abuse as a kid in canon and so who is to say that in a Human AU this couldn’t take the form of something like what he alludes to here in his message to Alec.
> 
> Thanks for checking this out 💙💙

Alec sits down in the office chair, picks up the phone and puts it to his ear. He dials _three_ , just like Magnus said to.

“Hey-”

Simply the sound of Jace’s recorded voice is enough to make Alec smile.

“Nice hold music, by the way... that always was one of my favourite songs... I feel like I can say that here because nobody’s really listening to this, right? Except, I guess, one person who checks this thing... maybe plays all these for your boss and then maybe, whoever I’m leaving this feedback for, gets to hear it too, right? Can I just tell you, right now, that’s really _really_ important? Like... if this isn’t getting passed to who I say this is for and like, you, whoever you are, if you’re just not gonna pass this on could you please just stop listening to this right now? Or... I just really hope you mean what you say, okay? On the recording? I really hope that you’re gonna pass this on because, like, I’m telling you this is just really important... I’m getting nostalgic or some shit now. It’s not even nostalgic about something good, it’s the fucking song! That was... well, like I said, I liked it... until this one time I said that aloud... then, I remember, this one fucking kid punched the living shit out of me... just for saying that-”

Alec frowns.

“But hearing that tune, on your hold music, well, you know, it actually does make me nostalgic. Not nostalgic for getting the living shit punched out of me, nostalgic for that song. Know how songs can do that? Kind of reminds me that I still really like it, a lot... I mean, who knew Kermit could hold a tune, right? My ex, right, she had this little nephew... and so we’d go over there sometimes and The Muppet Movie would be on tv? And... well, I still can’t believe they’re showing re-runs of that these days, do you know what I mean? I mean, it’s not like I’m old but I ain’t that young either, yeah? But they’re... oh... shit... I just remembered what I’m supposed to be doing on this message... maybe I should hang up and start over again? Ah, fuck, I guess if this runs out, it runs out, right? Alright... so... here it is... I can’t remember your formula now, that you want me to leave this in... does it really matter, what order I say this in? I crapped on too long about Kermit, sorry... got distracted... been doing that a bit lately... there’s some... heavy shit I’m going through, I guess, so... um... this message is for your delivery guy... okay? His name’s Alec? This message is for Alec.”

Alec sits up, pulls the chair in very close to the desk, and presses the phone as close as he can to his ear. Hanging on every word Jace says. Still.

“Alec... please come back... okay? I _really_ miss you.”


	8. Hip Bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s taken him a day but Alec has returned to Jace’s apartment (again) this time after hearing the voicemail Magnus saved for him, in which Jace asks him to come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for checking this out. I hope you enjoy it 💙💙

Alec is sipping ice water. He and Jace are sitting outside, next to each other on the steps. Up which Alec hauled Jace’s fridge that first day they met. They’re taking a break. Sparring is thirsty work. And it's a really nice day outside Jace’s apartment this morning, a public holiday Monday morning, so Alec doesn’t have classes today. Jace’ll do some martial arts teaching online later this afternoon but for now he’s just doing nothing, same as Alec. Apart from sipping ice water. And sitting together and talking.

“Was that really true?” Alec’s watching Jace’s bare toes, peeking out from flip flops he slipped into before they went outside. 

Up until this point, they’ve been exercising inside in their bare feet. Alec’s feet remain bare now. He finally showed up again at Jace’s today after a special early morning delivery, still in coveralls and boots. Jace has lent him an old pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt by now. Both are just a little bit small for him; the sweatpants are a little bit short around his ankles and the t-shirt ends just a little bit too high up on his stomach. Alec keeps pulling the edges of it down, trying to hide the little gaps it reveals. Especially the ones that are just above his hip bones. And for some reason, the gap above his left hip bone just won’t be hidden, no matter how hard Alec tries to make it be. He hopes Jace won’t notice and yet, at the same time, Alec wonders if Jace will. For the record, Jace does.

“Yeah,” Jace says. “That was true. At least, I think it was true because I know I rambled on a whole lot in that message but... well... I also know I didn’t lie on it either, so...” He trails off.

“Jace... you wouldn’t wanna... like...” 

Alec trails off too. Jace blinks at him for a couple of times. “Wanna what?” he asks, after a couple of more times.

“Nothing.” Alec tries to pull down the edge of the t-shirt again. He still can’t cover his hip bone.

Jace drains his glass of ice water. “Go back inside and train?” he asks, setting down the glass and watching Alec still trying with the t-shirt. But Jace doesn’t really think that’s what Alec means: to train.

Jace leans in. Imploring Alec to finish the sentence. Alec leans in too. Imploring Jace to finish it for him. It’s still a really nice day. Jace’s toes shift along the step towards Alec’s. 

And just as suddenly as Jace knew to look up the number again for Rainbow Removals, and leave Alec the voicemail feedback, now he also knows this: that Alec might never finish that sentence. Maybe for the reasons why Jace has never been able to say, until he left the voicemail for Alec, that he likes Rainbow Connection by Kermit the Frog. 

“Fuck yes, Alec,” Jace says. “Fuck yes I would like to go somewhere with you.”


End file.
